In Part 1, I introduced how to access Gulangyu Island from Xiamen. Thanks to catching the first ferry of the day to the island, I was able to fully enjoy the island’s charm during the precious early hours when there were few tourists. In this Part 2, I’d like to share my experience from the quiet morning port town to climbing Sunlight Rock.
Read Part 1 here
Encountering the Misty Morning Port Town
I arrived at Xiamen Gulangyu Terminal just after 7 AM. Gulangyu Island actually has two ports, but this one serves as the main gateway for tourists. Stepping off from the port, cobblestone streets lined with souvenir shops and restaurants that hadn’t yet opened for the day stretched before me.
The morning sun streaming in at an angle, casting long shadows from the buildings, created an almost painterly atmosphere. The quietness, unthinkable for such a popular tourist destination, created a unique charm. I was able to see a special morning expression of the island, quite different from the bustling street photos commonly seen in travel guidebooks.
Streets with Exotic Atmosphere
I decided to take a stroll through the beautiful town while there were few tourists in the morning. Sunlight Rock, located near the center of the island, supposedly offers panoramic views of Gulangyu Island. As I began walking toward it, I was immediately drawn into the island’s unique charm. The buildings lining both sides featured orange brick and white walls as their foundation, giving the illusion of walking through old European street corners.
However, looking closely, red lanterns hung from the eaves, and Chinese-style stone lions sat at street corners. The building decorations also showed Chinese design elements throughout, creating a unique landscape where Eastern and Western cultures beautifully blend together.
The orange and white buildings with vivid pink bougainvillea are absolutely charming
With each step forward, I encountered scenes that made me want to take photos constantly. Arched windows, decorative railings, colorful tiles, heavy doors that speak of history – each detail tells its own story. Despite being such an attractive tourist destination, I found it puzzling that it has relatively low recognition internationally.
Walking Through a Cultural Crossroads
While there are indeed many slopes on the island, the overall compact size means that exploring doesn’t feel particularly burdensome. Rather, the slopes seem to enhance the three-dimensional beauty of the streetscape.
What was particularly impressive was the sight of the Western-style church “Gospel Hall” and the traditional Buddhist temple “Sunlight Temple” coexisting within just a few minutes’ walk from each other. The way symbols of different cultures coexist so naturally seemed to perfectly represent the island’s history and character.
Along the way, I had an unexpected encounter: a rare pink butterfly with yellow-green accents fluttering over the cobblestones. This butterfly was as beautiful as if it had stepped out of an animated world, further enhancing the island’s charm created by the harmony of nature and architecture.
Sunlight Rock: The Island’s Iconic Spot
A cat staring intently at me, as if saying “not this gate”
Reaching Sunlight Rock took a bit of effort. The first entrance I reached on the east side was exclusively for worshippers, and tourists needed to approach from the west gate. This meant taking a long detour, but during that journey I had unexpected encounters with more streetscapes, which ultimately made for a good exploration.
Even though it’s early morning, there are already tourists here and there
When purchasing tickets, I faced the difficulties specific to foreign tourists that I mentioned in my previous article. Unable to purchase online, I was forced to buy at a staffed counter. However, the paper ticket I obtained has become a rarity in our digital age, and it might serve as a nice souvenir in itself.
The moment I stepped into the temple grounds, I was captivated by the exquisite contrast across time: traditional buildings with Xiamen’s high-rise skyline towering behind them.
Climbing the large rocks toward the summit
Several photo spots are set up along the climbing route, and from the open plazas you can look out over the colorful buildings.
Iconic Gulangyu Island architecture
The steep stairway gradually narrows, and finally becomes one-way as you head toward the summit. Each time I looked back, the view opened up more, revealing spectacular scenery of cobalt blue sea and white sandy beaches. I never imagined that just 15 minutes from the hustle and bustle of Xiamen, I could encounter such beautiful ocean views.
Near the summit, the path becomes quite narrow
In the distance is a beautiful beach. I decided to walk there later
Despite the early morning hour, about 10 tourists had gathered at the summit viewing area, but this number allowed for comfortable enjoyment of the scenery.
View from the summit
The view from here is truly spectacular. The unique streetscape created by Gulangyu Island’s characteristic orange buildings, the brilliantly blue strait, and Xiamen’s modern skyline rising on the opposite shore. Landscapes where such diverse elements fit within a single field of view are probably not that common anywhere in the world.
How was it?
In the next part (Part 3), I’ll share about the beach exploration after descending from Sunlight Rock and the scene in the shopping districts that were starting to come alive. The changing expressions of the island, gradually transforming from morning quietness to the bustling energy of a tourist destination, also had a different kind of charm. Stay tuned!
